Head protection device and guiding bracket

Abstract

A head protection device includes an air bag and a guiding bracket, and the guiding bracket includes an attachment surface that has an attachment portion attached to a body panel, a guiding wall that has a support portion for supporting the air bag, and a contact portion that is coupled to an end of the guiding wall in the vehicle cabin side and contacts a ceiling material. A weak portion deformed toward the vehicle cabin outer side by a load of a passenger's head at a collision causing no activation of an inflator is formed between the support portion of the guiding wall and the contact portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A head protection device comprising:
 an air bag covered with a ceiling material arranged above a pillar of a vehicle, the air bag pressing against the ceiling material to open the ceiling material, and when an inflator is activated to flow a gas into the air bag, the air bag expands and inflates downward against the ceiling material toward a vehicle cabin side from between the pillar and the ceiling material; and 
 a guiding bracket covered with the ceiling material above the pillar, the guiding bracket guiding the air bag expanded and inflated by the inflator to the vehicle cabin side, 
 wherein the guiding bracket includes:
 an attachment surface extending along a body panel in a vehicle vertical direction, and the attachment surface having an attachment portion attached to the body panel; 
 a guiding wall extending from a lower end of the attachment surface toward the vehicle cabin side, the guiding wall having a support portion for supporting the air bag; and 
 a contact portion provided at an end of the guiding wall and contacting the ceiling material, and 
 a weak portion, deformable toward a vehicle cabin outer side by a load of a passenger's head at a collision thereby causing no activation of the inflator, is provided between the support portion of the guiding wall and the contact portion, and is defined as a through hole in the guiding wall provided along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein 
 a side wall of the guiding wall defining a lower portion of the through hole on the vehicle cabin side has an inclined surface inclined toward a back surface of the guiding wall. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The head protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein the weak portion is provided near the contact portion provided at the end of the guiding wall along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The head protection device according to  claim 1 , wherein a back surface of the guiding wall has ribs in contact with the body panel at respective ends of the weak portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The head protection device according to  claim 1 , the guiding bracket further comprising:
 a folded portion projecting away from the ceiling material, wherein 
 the attachment surface, the guiding wall and the weak portion extend toward the contact portion, and the folded portion extends from the contact portion to a vehicle cabin outer side at a free end thereof. 
 
     
     
       5. A guiding bracket that is covered with a ceiling material above a pillar of a vehicle, and guides an air bag expanded and inflated by an inflator to a vehicle cabin side, the guiding bracket comprising:
 an attachment surface having an attachment portion attached to a body panel; 
 a guiding wall extending from a lower end of the attachment surface in a predetermined direction, the guiding wall having a support portion for supporting the air bag; and 
 a contact portion coupled to a front end of the guiding wall, the contact portion contacting the ceiling material, wherein 
 a weak portion, deformable toward a vehicle cabin outer side by a load of a passenger's head at a collision thereby causing no activation of the inflator, is provided between the support portion of the guiding wall and the contact portion, and is defined as a through hole in the guiding wall provided along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and 
 a side wall of the guiding wall defining a lower portion of the through hole on the vehicle cabin side has an inclined surface inclined toward a back surface of the guiding wall. 
 
     
     
       6. The guiding bracket according to  claim 5 , the guiding bracket further comprising:
 a folded portion projecting away from the ceiling material, wherein 
 the attachment surface, the guiding wall and the weak portion extend toward the contact portion, and the folded portion extends from the contact portion to a vehicle cabin outer side at a free end thereof.